Dec. 8: Windham Hill label artists present A Winter's Solstice Concert
Three master musicians who made their name on the Windham Hill label will present Windham Hill: A Winter's Solstice Concert on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the Mainstage Theatre of the James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts at the College of Lake County.
With warmth and humor, pianist Liz Story, Grammy®-nominated singer and multi-instrumentalist Barbara Higbie and guitarist Sean Harkness will present classic and original holiday music that celebrates the Winter Solstice. The trio in various forms has toured nationally for the past 10 years for the series that sold over eight million copies. The concert's music will focus on the significance of the Winter Solstice in indigenous traditions from around the world.
The Winter Solstice concert presents the music of three of Windham Hill's most celebrated artists. Musicians on the Windham Hill label are internationally recognized and include George Winston, Will Ackerman, Liz Story, Michael Hedges, Alex DeGrassi, Barbara Higbie, Darol Anger and their group "Montreux," Mark Isham, Tuck and Patty and Sean Harkness. The name "Windham Hill" became synonymous with the best in acoustic music in the 1980s and 1990s. Windham Hill's 10 Winter Solstice compilation recordings have sold millions of copies and "Changed people's conceptions of seasonal music," according to John Diliberto of Echoes Radio host.
Liz Story is a multiple Grammy Award-nominated pianist and composer. After studying at Juilliard School, Hunter College and the Dick Grove Music Workshops in Studio City, Calif., Story became an accomplished jazz pianist. Her Windham Hill debut album was "Solid Colors." In the 1980s, Story emerged as a prominent figure in new age music while frequently touring the United States and as a recording artist at Windham Hill Records and RCA Novus Records. www.LizStory.com.
Barbara Higbie is a Grammy-nominated, Bammy award-winning pianist/composer/ singer-songwriter as well as a championship fiddler who combines elements of jazz, folk, classical, African, Brazilian and Celtic music to create compositions that are lyrical, rhythmically playful and harmonically inventive. The Los Angeles Times described her music as "A ray of bright sunlight," the San Francisco Chronicle as, "Full of life and brilliant in her playing, the most exciting musician we've heard." As well as being the first female instrumentalist on the Windham Hill label, Higbie has appeared with musicians such as Santana, Bonnie Raitt, the Kronos Quartet,
Milton Nascimiento and Spyro Gyra and plays on more than 100 CDs. Higbie's solo work has made the Top Ten lists of the Washington Post and Performing Songwriter Magazine. The most recent of her six solo releases, "Scenes from Life" was recorded in 2014 at Lucasfilm's Skywalker Sound. barbarahigbie.com/winter-soltice-trio/.
Sean Harkness is known for duets and ensemble work with singers from Broadway, television and screen. He is a first-call guitarist who works with artists and productions worldwide. Harkness performs extensively both as a solo artist and sideman in New York's finest jazz, rock, folk, cabaret, blues, R&B and singer/songwriter venues. His awards include Outstanding Instrumentalist of 2011 Backstage Bistro Award, 2014 Broadwayworld Cabaret Award for Best CD Release and three MAC Awards [Manhattan Association of Clubs and Cabarets] for ensemble instrumentalist. As a solo artist with six CDs, his music is on Windham Hill Records [Sony/RCA/BMG] and a list of independents. Harkness has also scored music for television, including "World's Strongest Man," ESPN, NASCAR and ABC Sports. www.seanharkness.com.
Tickets: Regular $40/32; Senior/Staff/Alumni $39/31; CLC Student/Teen $15; Children $12 (prices do not include a $2 JLC facility fee). For more information call the Box Office at (847) 543-2300, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Box Office is also open one hour before the performance.
To request a James Lumber Center brochure call (847) 543-2300 or sign up for the mailing list at http://www.clcillinois.edu/tickets. Professional events make excellent group outings, and groups of six or more people are eligible for discounted ticket prices. Call group sales at (847) 543-2431 or email JLCgroupsales@clcillinois.edu for more information. The College of Lake County is located at 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake.